SHORT HISTORY OF NSW 2580

The village of Towrang is located approximately Goulburn for use in the walls of the Church of England 12 kilometers North East of Goulburn and is 5 kms from Cathedral and other properties. The stone culverts built the Towrang Road/ intersection. It is on the Old Road, by the convicts (Towrang nestled at the foot of the Cookbundoon Range and beside Stockade), were restored by the Historical Society using the . this stone. The area known today as Towrang was first crossed On 28th June, 1879 a newspaper article reported, by European explorers Wilson, Collins, and a wee lad “Machine-Made Bricks”. “ Messr’s Jessop and Company called Price in March 1798. They set out from Bargo to have so far succeeded with their new enterprise to be explore the South West and are known to have climbed able to turn out bricks that compare favourably with any the nearby Mount Towrang. made in the district. These pressed bricks are being used In the early 1800s various journeys of discovery were in the new Post and Telegraph Offices.” It has been said undertaken, but as to when Towrang was actually settled that bricks from the Towrang brickworks were used in the is unclear. In the 1820s Governor Brisbane gave “Tickets Goulburn Gaol and Goulburn Base Hospital, but this has of Occupation” for people wishing to purchase land. One not been confirmed. such ticket was to Richard Farrington for land known as Agriculture played a large role in the development “Tourong”. In 1836 James Backhouse’s diary stated, “we in the area with cream from the local dairies being sent to passed a few small huts, forming the village of Towrang”. Goulburn Butter Factory by train. The construction of “the Great South Road” through There were three large orchards and one smaller the area saw the establishment of the now well known, one. The majority of the crop was railed from Towrang to “Towrang Stockade” in the early 1830s. The stockade Sydney to the fruit markets. contained the iron gang of Convicts during the road Apples were exported to England and topped the construction and was in operation for around 13 years. market for some varieties in the English markets. There The Powder Magazine and three masonry culverts, has been a long tradition of both sheep and cattle grazing the work of David Lennox, are still preserved today and in the district. are accessible through the rest area on the Hume Highway Fruit and vegetable production in the area is made at Towrang creek. possible by the nature of the Wollondilly river. The Southern Railway line came through Towrang A wool wash and scouring plant was began in the in 1868/9 on the way to Goulburn. The original single line 1880s. It was situated on the eastern side of the railway bridge across the Wollondilly River still stands, alongside line between the line and the Wollondilly river. It closed in the current dual rail line bridge, opened 1914/ 15. The 1904 and was demolished, but the old wash pits and drains Railway Station at Towrang, opened 16th May 1869, was are still to be seen today. quite active with a siding to the load goods wagons with The historic Community Hall, Rural Fire Service local produce, wool, gravel, slate, wood and fruit. The facility, St. John’s Anglican Church and the Recreation station closed about 1968 and was bulldozed. For many Park are located in the middle of the village. years two gangs of railway fettlers were stationed at The Towrang Public School, opened in 1859 and Towrang, but were then moved to Goulburn. closed in1969, is now a private residence, and is adjacent Since Towrang was founded there have been many the church. Postal services were begun in Towrang in industries established, and these include: 1869. The Post Office moved into the old general store in The Quartet Silver Mine leased a 20 acre site near Towrang 1913 remaining there till its closure in 1973. in the Cookbundoon Range and reports of silver levels from A mail service was provided from Towrang to a few ounces to 87 ounces per ton were assayed on testing. Greenwich Park along Towrang Road and for many years A Crystal line variegated Marble quarry was mined in the was operated by horse and sulky, then a motorbike and area, with the mined marble being sent to Sydney. then a motor vehicle. A Slate quarry was established on a spur of the A liquor licence was granted to a hotel in 1881 which Cookbundoon Range near Stillwell creek approximately 3 operated as the “Cookbundoon Inn” and still stands today. ½ miles from the station. This building was primarily constructed from large pieces Two portable steam engines worked the quarry, sawing of local slate. After closure of the inn, the building was the slate and also cutting wood into billets to supply the used as a store and post office. furnace. A siding was built at the Towrang station to load the slate Information collated from “Towrang” produced by for transportation. Rubble stone from the quarry had the Back to Towrang Day 1995 Committee and NSW considerable commercial value and hundreds of tons have Government history website. been sent to

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